I looked online for a bit but for the life of me do not know what these are...
they are big spheres that are attached to the roots of my ferns. there was a mix of plants from where i dug them out for a friend of mine, but i believe they belong to the ferns... not sure tho
anyway, take a look. maybe someone much more knowledgeable than me can tell me just what the heck they are!
thanks to everyone in advance ^_^
ah, so they're for nitrogen fixation. i just wanted to make sure nothing was wrong with them before i give them away.
thank you!
You are very welcome. Mai
Looking around a bit, I haven't been able to find any answers to the "purpose" of the root nodules... except a few anecdotal guesses. I've never heard of ferns having the ability to fix nitrogen (although there are a few species other than legumes that can).
This link suggests they are for water storage to tide the plant over during drought
http://en.allexperts.com/q/House-Plants-721/Asparagus-fern-roots.htm
Roots may be assisted in their function by other organisms living in the substrate. Many plants, including the majority of vascular plants and even the free-living gamatophytes, are involved in symbiotic relationships with fungi, called mycorrhizae. Particular soil fungi grow either on the outside or on the inside of a root. This mycorrhizal association improves water absorption and the uptake of certain minerals from the soil. Certain genera of plants have roots that are inoculated with colonies of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, especially legumes and their associated nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobial bacteria). Living in tumor-like root nodules, nitrogen-fixing bacteria are able to convert atmosphere nitrogen gas to ammonia, under anaerobic conditions produced by the plant cells, and then use this fixed nitrogen to make amino acids. So, it this regard, root physiology may be involved in a very special way to deliver nutrients to the shoot. (this is an excerpt from a UCLA botany paper)
This link suggests they are for water storage to tide the plant over during drought
http://en.allexperts.com/q/House-Plants-721/Asparagus-fern-roots.htm
Roots may be assisted in their function by other organisms living in the substrate. Many plants, including the majority of vascular plants and even the free-living gamatophytes, are involved in symbiotic relationships with fungi, called mycorrhizae. Particular soil fungi grow either on the outside or on the inside of a root. This mycorrhizal association improves water absorption and the uptake of certain minerals from the soil. Certain genera of plants have roots that are inoculated with colonies of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, especially legumes and their associated nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobial bacteria). Living in tumor-like root nodules, nitrogen-fixing bacteria are able to convert atmosphere nitrogen gas to ammonia, under anaerobic conditions produced by the plant cells, and then use this fixed nitrogen to make amino acids. So, it this regard, root physiology may be involved in a very special way to deliver nutrients to the shoot. (this is an excerpt from a UCLA botany paper)
I am not arguing the point, merely presenting some interesting info, Altagardener. I personally have always assumed, correctly or incorrectly, that the root nodules on asparagus ferns were there to store nutrients/moisture for the plant. The sweet fern Comptonia peregrina, does form root nodules for nitrogen fixing/nutrients in sandy, low fertility soils.
http://arnoldia.arboretum.harvard.edu/pdf/articles/426.pdf
Yes, that's fine.
BTW, just to clarify, "sweet fern" is not a fern - it's just another misleading common name, this time for a plant in Myricaceae.
If your fern is a Nephrolepsis cordifolia also known as a Sword fern or tuberous sword fern then the spheres could be tubers.
You can plant the 'spheres' and in a few weeks you would have baby ferns growing.
